Canadian Union of Postal Workers Rejects Canada Post Contract Offer, Urges Workers to Vote No

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is urging its members to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer, which includes wage hikes of over 13%. The union claims the offer adds part-time workers, necessary for the postal service, but undermines the bargaining process. The vote, overseen by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, starts next week. The CUPW is seeking a stronger deal after more than a year and a half of talks.

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) is urging its members to reject Canada Post's latest contract offer, which includes wage hikes of over 13%. The union claims the offer adds part-time workers, necessary for the postal service, but undermines the bargaining process. The vote, overseen by the Canada Industrial Relations Board, starts next week. The CUPW is seeking a stronger deal after more than a year and a half of talks.

The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has scheduled the vote between July 21 and August 1, involving approximately 53,000 postal service employees in rural and urban regions of Canada. The vote will include letter carriers, postal clerks, and dispatchers who sort and distribute mail [1].

Canada Post is urging employees to vote in favor of the new agreement, which includes a 13% wage increase over four years and a $1,000 signing bonus for full-time employees. The postal service argues that the dispute, including a one-month strike last November, has cost it hundreds of millions of dollars [1].

However, the CUPW is campaigning against the offer, claiming it would erode job security and pension benefits and expand the part-time workforce at the expense of full-time jobs. The union has issued daily press releases and bulletins outlining details of the offer and specific language that they say would disadvantage employees [1].

Canada Post has proposed the creation of more part-time positions for weekend and weekday parcel delivery, with benefits and predictable hours. The union warns that voting in favor of the offer will result in an "explosion" of part-time positions, creating a new class of workers and fewer full-time job opportunities [1].

If Canada Post employees vote no to the proposals, both sides will return to the bargaining table. The CUPW is currently exercising strike action through a ban on overtime for its employees, which will continue until a deal is reached [1].

The labour dispute between Canada Post and CUPW has been one of the most prominent union-employer clashes in Canada in recent decades. The postal service is losing money due to the rapid growth of private delivery carriers and the decline in letter mail. Canada Post blames the structure of its workforce and the rigidity of the collective agreement for its inability to compete with private operators [1].

An independent commission appointed by the federal government concluded that CUPW had to make changes to the collective agreement to allow for greater use of part-time employees. The commissioner, William Kaplan, wrote that the jobs should not be "gigified" jobs but "good, attractive and unionized jobs" [1].

The CIRB's decision to call a vote is relatively uncommon, according to labour experts. Larry Savage, professor of labour studies at Brock University, believes that the very act of Canada Post asking the minister to approve a forced vote likely resulted in a backlash that will help unite Canada Post employees in opposition to their employer [1].

Adam King, an assistant professor of labour studies at the University of Manitoba, believes that Canada Post is betting on an "exhausted" membership to vote "yes" and get the agreement over the finish line. If members return a decisive "no" vote, according to Dr. King, Canada Post’s case at the bargaining table after the vote will be significantly weaker [1].

References:
[1] https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-canada-post-union-calls-on-employees-to-reject-latest-offer/
[2] https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/canadian-union-postal-workers-urges-113009734.html
[3] https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/our-company/news-and-media/corporate-news/negotiations/2025-07-17-cupw-represented-employees-to-vote-on-canada-posts-final-offers-beginning-july-21